DLT (musician)
Encyclopedia
DLT is a New Zealand
DJ, music producer, composer & artist. Born Darryl Thompson in Maraenui
, New Zealand.
DLT was inspired by an article about rap and breakdancing in Life magazine
when he was 16 years of age; he moved to Wellington
in the '80s and established himself as a graffiti artist
known as 'SLICK' (1983) before co-founding Hip Hop group Upper Hutt Posse
. The ' Posse released New Zealand's first Hip hop
record, E Tū, in 1988 and then moved to Auckland
.
Upper Hutt Posse signed to Murray Cammick
's label, Southside Records, and released the album Against The Flow
in 1991.
Leaving the Upper Hutt Posse, DLT released two solo albums. The first, The True School, contained the New Zealand Number 1 single Chains. Chains was number one in New Zealand for five weeks in 1996 and featured the vocals of Che Fu
. In the 1997 New Zealand Music Awards Chains was named Single of the Year and won the Best Songwriting award. Che Fu was named Best Male Vocalist. It was number 22 in the 2001 APRA listing of the Greatest New Zealand Songs of the previous 75 years
.
DLT's production work in the 80's and 90's was a pointer to and influential on the Reggae
flavoured Downbeat
styles that have found favour in New Zealand in recent years.
His radio and TV work in New Zealand, especially The True School Show on Radio 95bFM, has been important in the development of the New Zealand Hip Hop scene. DLT hosted 'Trueschool TV' on Max TV in 1996 with DJ Sir-Vere - they were later poached for MTV's 'Wreckognise' show, which gave them nationwide coverage.
DLT hosts The HOLD UP! with DT (Daniel Tippett, artist & DJ) on Auckland station BaseFM. The two are responsible for several commissioned graffiti works throughout New Zealand.
DLT is often described as the Godfather Of New Zealand Hip Hop.
.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
DJ, music producer, composer & artist. Born Darryl Thompson in Maraenui
Maraenui
Maraenui is a suburb of the city of Napier, in the Hawke's Bay Region of the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It is a lower socio-economic neighborhood with a mix of owner occupied and state owned properties. Bradley Kitching and Anthony Scott are known legends and hail from this region...
, New Zealand.
DLT was inspired by an article about rap and breakdancing in Life magazine
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
when he was 16 years of age; he moved to Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in the '80s and established himself as a graffiti artist
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
known as 'SLICK' (1983) before co-founding Hip Hop group Upper Hutt Posse
Upper Hutt Posse
Upper Hutt Posse is a musical band in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The progenitors of Hiphop music in the South Pacific originally formed as a four piece reggae group in 1985, the Posse emerged at the forefront of the local response to emerging rap culture...
. The ' Posse released New Zealand's first Hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
record, E Tū, in 1988 and then moved to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
Upper Hutt Posse signed to Murray Cammick
Murray Cammick
Murray Cammick is a New Zealand popular music journalist and record label founder. He has been a significant figure in New Zealand popular music since the late 1970s.-History:...
's label, Southside Records, and released the album Against The Flow
Against The Flow
Against The Flow was a Christian rock radio show that was broadcasted on DWNUFM 107.5 in Manila in the Philippines. It was broadcast from April 1997 until NU107 closed down in November 2010. ATF returned on the internet through www.theedge.ph in March 2011...
in 1991.
Leaving the Upper Hutt Posse, DLT released two solo albums. The first, The True School, contained the New Zealand Number 1 single Chains. Chains was number one in New Zealand for five weeks in 1996 and featured the vocals of Che Fu
Che Fu
Che Fu MNZM is a New Zealand Hip hop/R&B and Reggae recording artist and producer. Originally one part of the band Supergroove, as a solo artist he has gone on to sell thousands of albums both in New Zealand and internationally, including in Australia and the UK.-History:Fu is one of New Zealand's...
. In the 1997 New Zealand Music Awards Chains was named Single of the Year and won the Best Songwriting award. Che Fu was named Best Male Vocalist. It was number 22 in the 2001 APRA listing of the Greatest New Zealand Songs of the previous 75 years
Nature's Best
Nature's Best is a two-disc compilation album of thirty New Zealand popular music songs, selected by a panel as the top thirty New Zealand songs of all time.-Selection:...
.
DLT's production work in the 80's and 90's was a pointer to and influential on the Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
flavoured Downbeat
Downtempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
styles that have found favour in New Zealand in recent years.
His radio and TV work in New Zealand, especially The True School Show on Radio 95bFM, has been important in the development of the New Zealand Hip Hop scene. DLT hosted 'Trueschool TV' on Max TV in 1996 with DJ Sir-Vere - they were later poached for MTV's 'Wreckognise' show, which gave them nationwide coverage.
DLT hosts The HOLD UP! with DT (Daniel Tippett, artist & DJ) on Auckland station BaseFM. The two are responsible for several commissioned graffiti works throughout New Zealand.
DLT is often described as the Godfather Of New Zealand Hip Hop.
Discography
| Date | Title | Label | Charted | Country | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The True School | BMG BMG Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann... |
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
- | |
| 2000 | Altruism Altruism Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of... |
BMG BMG Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann... |
- | New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
- |
Art
DLT is an accomplished sculptor, graffiti artist, graphic artist & painterPainting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.